Dying skin cancer patients denied potential life extending drug
Patient support group Factor 50 is calling for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, NICE, to reconsider its preliminary decision to deny patients access to a potentially life extending drug, vemurafenib.
For the second time in less than a year, yet another melanoma drug, this time vemurafenib, which has proved beyond doubt in clinical trials to prolong the lives of many sufferers with advance stage metastatic melanoma, has been refused NHS access, as NICE has ruled that it does not consider it to be a cost-effective use of NHS resources.
A statement has been released today by Gill Nuttall, CEO and founder of melanoma support group Factor 50
Gill Nuttall, CEO and founder of melanoma support group Factor 50, said “This is another truly devastating blow to all melanoma patients and their families, many of whom are very young and with young families. Standard treatments that have been available since the 1970s are ineffective and to deny this drug to patients, is tantamount to passing them a death sentence.”
“I am astonished and deeply worried that NICE has not given approval to yet another drug which will significantly alter the lives of melanoma patients. The patients I represent have vowed that again, they will not take this decision lightly.”
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Weather for Dungannon
Sunday 19 May 2013
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